The Hermit

Adrift in a twilight world

[shahsalim]

Hazaar chaha ke dil rahe mom ki surat

Magar zamane ki zid hai ke isse sang kar de

Ye pay-ba-pay sadme, ye ghamon ki hathoriyan

Mitati hain narmi, ke lahu ko rang kar de

Main chupaye baitha hoon sadaf mein ek bacha

Ek masoom si khwahish, ek nazuk sa bachpan

Magar ye kaanch ka gumbad, ye hisaar-e-tamanna

Toot jaye ga jab jahan, jeene ka dhang kar de

[shahsalim]

Suna hai aaghaz-e-safar pe qadmon ka barf ho jaana,

Alamat hai ke is mein shaamil tumhari raza nahi.

Yehi thandak to pukaarti hai kooch-e-maut ke aalam mein,

Ke jaan to nikal gayi, ab baaqi koi qaza nahi.

[shahsalim]

Barf Baari aur Zaat ka Nuha

Toofan-e-musalsal se ek uns sa hua hai Ab is ki khamoshi se jee darnay laga hai

Safedi-e-barf ab meri aankhon ka noor hai Mera har ek amal isi rang mein dhala hai

Darr hai ke gar tham gayi yeh barf baari kabhi Phir kaun sa maqsad mujhe taraashna parray ga?

[shahsalim]

Justuju-e-khuld mein kya kya na dozakh seh gaye, Manzilein milti raheen aur hum yahin par reh gaye.

Kya gunaah aur kya sawaab, is guftagu se kya miley, Jab muqaddar thokaroon ke darmiyan hi beh gaye.

Sawaal-e-zarf hai 'Asad', ke hum uske laayak bhi hain? Khairat-e-jannat mili toh, sharam se hum dhey gaye.

[shahsalim]

Aye diyar e man

Bagh khiley darwaze tak, dastak rahi dhadkan

Pasheman hue jo khwab tartile

Waqt guzar gaya sambhale darpan

Ke haasil hui jo mehak e gulistan

Woh na waqif rahe jaise gul se chaman

[shahsalim]

Bezaari-e-dil ka aalam hai, to kya baat hai? Abhi baaqi thodi si jaan hai, to kya baat hai! 

 Phir uthega tufa’n-e-jazbaat manzil ki taraf, Abhi hare nahi hum maidaan, to kya baat hai! 

Gar thak gaya hai dil musalsal musafat se, Tham gaye jo do-pal qadam, to kya baat hai! 

Hai shart-e-muqaddar ke hogi saher har shab ki, Abhi kaali hai thodi shaam, to kya baat hai? 

[shahsalim]

Jis haal mein jeena hai, us par malaal kya hai, Hai jab zawaal-e-shab, toh sawaal kya hai.

Kissa hi khatm hua, toh ab hissa-kashi kyun? Jab subah ki khabar na miley, toh shaam kya hai.

Yeh gard-e-safar, yeh talaash-e-raakh-e-tamanna, Manzil hi na miley, toh maqam-e-qayaam kya hai.

Dunya ke is shor mein, har chehra hai be-zubaan, Koi samajh na sakey, toh phir paighaam kya hai.

Bazaar-e-hifaazat mein nilaam huye hain khwaab, Jo bik hi gaye sab, toh phir unka daam kya hai.

[shahsalim]

Awwal-e-roz se jab insaan ki zaat bani hai, Ek 'kaash' ki lazzat, is mitti ke saath lagi hai. 

Har qadam par bikti rahi hai khalish-e-dil, Har nafas mein ik taza fasaad laga hai. 

 Palkon pe sulagte rahe khwaab-e-parishaan, Har ik waada hi humein toh adhoora laga hai.

Dard-e-dil ko naseeb ka unwaan kar diya, Yeh gham toh hamein jaan se gehra laga hai.

[shahsalim]

Pase-deewar-e-sheher, aaj phir aaftab dhal gaya, Ik aur din bhi khamoshi ke saanche mein dhal gaya. 

Phir wahin chakkar, phir wahi subah-e-nau ka fareb, Kya 'barf-e-zeest' ka har qatra, kiranon mein dhal gaya? 

 Chashm-e-waa hui toh isi daur ki uljhan mili, Aankh band hone tak bhi, kyun na ye rasta kat gaya? 

Pase-deewar-e-sheher, aaj phir aaftab dhal gaya, Waqt mutthi se, mitti ki tarah phisaltay dhal gaya. 

[shahsalim]

Musht-e-khaak mein bhar loon saari kainaat ka khwab, 

Har na-gufta baat meri, ban jaaye ek kitaab. 

Silsila umeed ka thhaame, binn loon har ek pal, 

Toot bhi jaaye agar, dil mein rahe uska jawab.

Kash! khatt-e-sar-nawisht mein likh sakun kuch roshni, 

Warna wa-muthi mein reh jaaye, faqat khala-o-azab. 

[shahsalim]

Gham-e-hasti ko chhor diya humne isi ik haal mein, Ke umr saari kat gayi, faqat soch-e-visaal mein. 

Khayalon ki vus’at mein bhi, raha wo lab-basta, Main dhoondta raha nishan-e-suqoot, apne hi khayaal mein.

Indimaal-e-zakhm ki koshish to raegan thhi magar, Phir kyun aankh nam hui, usi ek sawaal mein? 

Waqt rawaañ raha aur dil thaharta gaya, Kaise qaid ho firaaq, jaam-e-sifaal mein? 

Talkhi-e-zehar bhi sheereen hui yaadon ke saath, Kya dhoondta hai ai dil, is jhoot-e-kamaal mein? 

Bichhadna-e-muqaddar ko koshish-e-mash’al kiya, Kya sab likha na tha pehle se, daftar-e-azal mein? 

[shahsalim]

Hawa thhami hai, na waqt guzra, na din dhala hai, Main ek sadi se, yahin kisi mod par khara hoon. 

Guzar gaya jo, wo sheher-e-yaadañ ki dhund thhi bas, Jo aane wala hai, us ke darr par tayyar khara hoon. 

[shahsalim]

Girti hai boond jab bhi, tawāzun nikal gaya, Darya ka saara aks hi, yak-sar badal gaya.

Daraar-e-jahal mein jo giri, shua-e-zahanat, Buniyad-e-bashar hili, aur insaan pighal gaya. 

Lab par bayaan-e-shauq hai, par lafz hain saqat, Waqt-e-sukoot aaya, aur silsila nikal gaya. 

Jo zehan mein pal rahi hai, wahi kismat hai teri, Ek khwaab-e-mukhtasar thha, jo ban kar azal gaya. 

[shahsalim]

Shab-e-afsurdagi ka har ek manzar yaad hai, Dil-e-barbaad ka wo aakhri ghar yaad hai. 

Visaal-e-yaar ki har ek tamanna kho gayi, Magar ab tak wo khalwat ki mu'attar yaad hai. 

Sargoshiyon mein katti thi raatein kabhi apni, Ab sargoshi nahi, bas uska ik darr yaad hai. 

Tasreeh-e-ishq ki ab koi gunjayish nahi, Mujhe tanhai ka bas ek marham-e-tar yaad hai. 

Na shikwa raha lab par, na koi dastaan apni, Faqat ek khali sa dil ka bharam yaad hai. 

Mulaqat-e-khudi ka wo zamana beet gaya, Ab khwabon ke wo purane sabhi zakhm yaad hai. 

Suhujat mein bhi thi tanhaiyon ki ik bheed, Ab bheed mein bhi mujhko apna hi ghar yaad hai.

Sada-e-khamoshi thi wo, jab kuch na kaha tha, Us lamha-e-be-lafz ka har ek aalam yaad hai. 

[shahsalim]

Kat jaaye meri rooh ka safar kal raat tak, Mil jaaye ek naya mauqa us hayaat tak. 

Badloonga toh kuch nahin apni kaji-e-tab'a mein, Bas ek naam faash karna hai, us naqab tak. 

Baatin ne jhuk ke dekha tha aaina kabhi, Tab jaam-e-hasti toot gaya, chehra tha khwab tak. 

[shahsalim]

Milenge phir kisi rāh par, koi baat nahin, 

Pūchenge naam-e-taskeen-e-dar, koi baat nahin. 

Aitbaar-e-yaqeen thha hi kab, is kainaat par humein, 

Bichhad gaye toh khair hui, koi baat nahin. 

Har ek dard ko khamosh-mizāji se likha hai humne, 

Parh liya kisi ne toh theek, Aur jis pe guzri... koi baat nahin.

[shahsalim]

Dikhte nahin ab wo khwab, na jaane gaye kahan? Main sach hun magar, mujh mein wo pehli si baat kahan?

Neend ki sarhad se hosh tak, safar toh tay hua, Par haqeeqat ki wo thos si, koi buniyad kahan? 

Gosha ko na tha apni hi hasti pe kabhi yaqeen, Jo khud se mila thha, ab uski pehchaan kahan?